US and Canada Entertainment Industry Events 2022

Toronto
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) welcomed more than 208,000 in-person attendees to its 47th annual event. Considered the world’s largest public film festival, the 11-day experience showed nearly 200 features, including the world premiere of Steven Spielberg’s latest film, The Fabelmans, for which Spielberg made an appearance (his first at the festival). Fun activations throughout the event included a TIFF portrait studio and a VIP-only lounge that featured a styling lounge, a beauty salon, a cafe, and more. Next: Sept. 9-18, 2023
See more: TIFF 2022 Ditched Digital Offerings for a Celebratory In-Person Return

Up from #3

San Diego
One of the biggest conventions in the U.S., Comic-Con returned in full force to its IRL format at the San Diego Convention Center, drawing upward of 130,000 attendees who experienced a slew of brand activations, celebrity panel conversations, and, of course, photo ops with their favorite comic-book characters. The sold-out event required proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test, along with masking while inside the convention center. Some of the most-attended panels included talks about Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Ring of Power and HBO’s House of the Dragon. Next: July 20-23, 2023
See more: Comic-Con 2022: 29 Out-of-the-Box Engagement Ideas From the Massive Pop Culture Convention

Park City, Utah
Although the acclaimed film festival planned to make an in-person return for its 2022 event, the sudden surge of COVID’s Omicron variant forced organizers to host the 11-day festival online, with three days of Satellite Screenings at seven cinemas in North Carolina, Massachusetts, California, Tennessee, Kansas, Washington, and Maryland. This year marked Sundance’s 40th anniversary, which was celebrated by showcasing 83 feature films, representing 28 countries, on its virtual XR platform. Remote attendees could network with each other, watch film features and award ceremonies, tune into engaging panel discussions, and more. Next: Jan. 19-29, 2023

Montreal
For the 40th anniversary of the world’s largest comedy festival, more than 250 up-and-coming and master comedians flooded downtown Montreal in July to take over the mic and entertain crowds at 25 different venues. The festival has quite the track record of spotlighting emerging comedians that go on to create internationally renowned careers, including Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, Mike Birbiglia, and Taylor Tomlinson, to name a few. For the first time, Just for Laughs partnered with Meta to bring parts of the show to Horizon Worlds, Meta’s virtual reality platform. The experience, dubbed Surrounded, took place in September. Next: July 2023

Toronto
For the second year, North America’s largest documentary film festival was hosted as a hybrid experience, featuring 225 films from 63 countries. The 11-day festival’s programming included 318 live screenings (the first in three years) at four venues across Toronto, complete with 223 live Q&As with filmmakers and five extended discussions as part of the Big Ideas Series, presented by Scotia Wealth Management. Online content also included streamings of each feature, Q&As, two Curious Minds sessions, which paired films with panel discussions., and more. Next: April 27-May 7, 2023

Vancouver
Marking its 41st anniversary, this year’s Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) showcased more than 230 films in cinemas for the first time in three years. Nearly 81,000 attendees from local and international film communities flocked to Vancouver to listen in on 20-plus conversations with filmmakers, cast more than 35,000 ballots to determine awards given for nine unique films, and participate in more than 75 sold-out supporting events. Next: Feb. 24-March 8, 2023

Up from #8

Las Vegas
Between the premiere screening of one of 2022’s biggest films, Top Gun: Maverick, and teasers of other major motion pictures like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Avatar: The Way of the Water, it’s no surprise that this year’s CinemaCon at Caesars Palace boasted attendance numbers that actually beat its pre-pandemic participation. The four-day event annually brings together movie theater owners and production companies from more than 80 countries to share upcoming film projects. Next: April 24-27, 2023

New to the list

New York
The annual gathering of television network executives, key advertisers, and media took place IRL for the first time in three years—back before major streaming platforms like HBO Max, Disney+, and Peacock even existed. NBCUniversal kicked off the week with an all-out event at Radio City Music Hall, complete with performances by Miley Cyrus and Kelly Clarkson, while brands like YouTube, TikTok, Disney, Fox, and more played host to enticing activations, breakfasts, and afterparties. Next: TBD 2023

New York
Conceptualized in 2001 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff as a way to revive New York’s economy after the devastating 9/11 attacks, this annual festival has since burgeoned into a staple event for cinephiles and filmmakers. This year’s iteration brought out more than 150,000 guests and included 111 feature films from 40 countries, plus more than 600 events across New York City. The world premiere of the Netflix documentary Halftime starring Jennifer Lopez was the talk of the 12-day event. Remote attendees could even get in on the action thanks to the festival’s Tribeca at Home programming. Next: June 7-18, 2023

Washington, D.C.
Held annually to recognize an array of artists for their talents and contributions to American culture through the performing arts, this gala continues to draw attention for its star-studded guest list and prestigious awards ceremony. This year’s Lifetime Achievement Awards recipients include George Clooney, Amy Grant, Gladys Knight, Tania León, and U2. The 45th annual event will air on CBS later this month on Dec. 28 and can be streamed on Paramount+. Next: December 2023